Fire-extinguishing device.



. S. THOMSON.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVICE,

APPLICATxoN msn ocT. 29. m5.

yat

JOHN STEWART THOMSN, OF LITTLE FALLS TOW'NSHIP, PSSIC CUTY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOB TO THE MANUFACTURING CORPORTION, GF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPDRATQN OLE* NE'W YORK. i

FRE-EXTENGUSHING EVICE.

Sneciieatgon of Letters Patent.

Patenten any io, ieee,

Application filed (integer 29, 1915. Serial No. 58,5%.

To all lwhom it may concern: V I l Be it known that I, JoHN STEWART Error/rnons a citizen'of the United States, reeiding in the township of Little Falls county of Passaic, and State of New Jersey, have'in vented certain new and useful mprovenients in Fire-Extinguishing Devices, of which the 'following1 is a speciiication. 7 This invention relates to a lire extinguishing device, and more specilically to ione einnloying an extinguishing iuid adapted to he forcibly ejected from a container at a point exterior thereto through a nozzle normally positioned. therein, and to means for instantaneouslyl placing the contained eX- tiiiguishing fluidI under preseure, and means for releasingvseid pressure either manually or automatically upon a predetermined rise temperature. l

@ne oi? the objects of my invention is to /provicle a portable re extinguisher of sim`4 pliied construction adapt/ed to be positively operated to expel its contained fire extinguishing fluid, and capable of permit-ting' the extinguishing fluid to he ejected in a aprav upon a lire through a' nozzle adapted to he projected from said container but normally to he positioned therein, and capable ot j directing' said Spray and of deliverinefnit at constant pressure and more directly to theliro than other forms ot apparatus. Another object oi' this invention is to provide a ther-1 inally controlled extinguisher of the hind described which Ieholl' autonfmtioallyy liz-iup: the sprinkling' means; into operation and ilcliver the extinguishin;r liuid 'under an instantaneously generated pressure. iur Ather objet-,t is; to provide an extinguisher ot the clans desrriliefl which Shall he simple and ollicient in operation and which may he manufactured at a low cost, and maj7 be in stalled throughout a vlouilrling in the manner that automatic sprinkler systeme are now employed hut without the use of auxiliary piping. und which shall he capable of reiillinfr. resetting: and reuse.

ln the accompanying dxnwings:l in which is Shown the preferred oinhodimcntn oi rnv invention. and in' which like reference numorals rei-or to similar partel throughout, ,f

Figure l roprcnennva sectional elevation oiE :in automatically operated (iro extinguisher lplane o Fig. '1, showing the ein'.tinguisher in operation; Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation of a modification of my device as to the valve operatingl and sprinkling means' Fig. l is an enlarged View of the thermal control member-'and portioneot the contiguous parts to which it is connected; Fig. 5 is a like View taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 4.

eferringto 'the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 represents a cylindrical casing forming the eides of a 'container for the fire eXting'uishin-f fluid 9,;l This casing; may be consti' u eterl letal or any S'uitalile vitreous material. The container is closed at'the top by a cover 3 having a circular opening therethrough formed by the inturned ange l and by Aan upwardly projecting shell Afitted therein, externally screw-threaded to engage a vhanger which preferably seats upon a washer?. Within the eontaineris located the piston having the upwardly projecting flange il forming a chamloerbeytween the cover of the container and the nutornatic release mechanism is heinnr net, as

hereinafter rlrecriln-.d-` The head ofthe nisu touhas a, packing ring lli oit Suitable ninterinl preferably hohl thoroagainsthi' a wffuslier l? and rivets i8. "he boss; l2 in intcriof'ljr screwthrcadeil lo receive and engage the tuhulnr nozzle lll having the inlet port 20.

' '.llio lower cnil of tho-tnlullar nozzle in closed filling orifice toi-med ,therein cloned h v the stopper Q3, and a central port formed h v the inturnetl flange 2l :nlaptuil to Seat a circular hoifcloil valve head rllhe valve head 25 i?, crowded upon its wat lov tho screw Q-i carried hy the har 27 Supported at one ond 'pv engagement with the pin i carried hy the (lownimrillg7 dopenilingige 29 formed upon the bottom Q2. The other end 'itiy of the bar 27 engages a fusible link member, shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. This fusible link comprises the hook 30 which is at tached by solder 3l of low melting point to the plate 32 having the hole 33 therein adapted to register with the angular extension 34 of the downwardly evtendinu,r hook 35 dependinnr from the bottom The particular feature ot advantage realized by this release mechanism is that by application of the spring power nearer to the fulcrum of the lever than to the fusible link, it is possible to construct the link with a less amount of solder, so that it is readily fusible, and also that the link is ruptured before the solder is actually fused and as soon as it is appreciablv softened, insuring positiveness as well as sensitiveness of operation upon the rise of temperature to the pre-calculated degrec. When the valve head 25 is seated and the bar 27 placed in position, as shown in Fig. 1, the screw 25 is turned up to tightly set the'valve head. which receives-the thrust of the spring' 1l transmitted to it by the tubular nozzle 19, upon the Withdrawal of the setting pin 15. The distance from the point of support of the bar 27, between the screw 26 and the hook 30, is preferably Iufreater than the distance from the point of support 28 to the screw 26, in order that the decreased leverage of the longer arm may place upon the hook 30 the lesser strain, so that the amount of solder necessary to hold the portions 30 and 32 in engagement will be a minimum, whereby the sensitiveness of the thermal conditions of the solder is increased, due to the small quantity necessary to hold the parts together, and the responsiveness of the device to rise in temperature is insured.

The method of operation of my device is as follows: The spring 11 being' compressed by manual pressure upon the projecting),r end of the member 19, the stem 13 is projected through the cover and held in its retracted position by the pin l5. The filler cap 23 is removed and the container is filled, and the cap re )laced The valve head 25 is then seated an( the bar 27 engaged at its extremity 28. The fusible link member is then hungr upon the hook 34 and the bar member brought into association with its hook portion 30 and the screw 26 turned up to firmly seat the valve head in the orifice formed by the inturned flange 24, whose inner diameter is such as to permit the passage of the tubular member 19 therethrough in sliding contact therewith. Upon the melting of the solder 3l at the predetermined temperature at which it is calculated to fiow. the force of the spring pulls the elements 30 and B2 apart. permitting the bar 27 to fall away, the force of the spring producing this effect before the solder has entirely melted and the tubular nozzle 'i9 is gradually projected through the opening in the bottom of the container. The piston head 10 exerts the pressure of the Spring upon thecontained liquid 2, which flows through the orifice 20 into the tubular nozzle and is expelled from the outlets 21 in the spray head. The piston then continues its travel until the contained liquid has been expelled, the spray nozzle continuing to be projected until the-limit of travel is reached, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2. The shell 5 provides an air port therethrough for the, admission of atmosphere in the rear of the piston by an opening through the eyebolt 6 at its base.

In the modification of my device illus.- trat-ed in Fig. 3 the tubular member 19 is replaced by the rod 36 attached to the piston head by the collars 37, whose lower end is terminated by the valve head 25 and the spray head 38. In this modification, upon the thermal release of the valve head the evtingruishinnr fluid `is expelled through the orifice in the bottom and is diffused in spray by the teeth 39 upon the spray head 38.

I have described myinvention and the preferred form thereof as an automatically operated device, but it is obvious that said extinguisher is readily portable as a hand extinguisher and may be operated as such by manual release of the valve closure, hence I do not desire to be limited by said disclosure save us defined in the appended claims, since the particular features of advantage of the said invention are capable of structural embodiment in a variety of forms within the scope of its improvement over prior lire extinguisher devices.

I accordingly' claim:

In an automatic tire-extinguisher, a container for a fire-extinguishing fluid, means adapted automatically to place said liquid under compression when a predetermined temperature is reached and means normally within said container adapted to expel. the fluid at a point exterior to said container.

2. In a fire-extinguisher, the combination of a container for a fire-extinguishing fluid, means adapted to placesnid liquid under compression, and means adapted to be projected from said container for conveying said liquid to a point exterior to said container and *there ejectin it.

3. In a fire-extingruisher, the combination of a container for a fire-extinguishingiiuid, means adapted to piace said liquid under compression, and means for eiecting said liquid at a point exterior to said container, said means being positioned within said container when the compression means is Messes y project a nomic from said container, sind means for causing; seid compression ineens to become operative.

5. In a fire 'extinguishera the conininationl of a container for a iire extinguishing iaid, means adapted to compress said inid ine-- chanically, a member carried by said means and adapted to distribute said iiqnid under pressure, and a thermaiiy controlled, meinber adapted to support the force of coinpression transmitted. by said member there to until a predetermined. temperature is reached and. thento release both. said com pression mea-nsv and said distributing member.

6. in a reei'tinauieinera 'die combination of a container for a iireextinguishing iiuid, means adapted to piace said liquid under compression, and means *for eject-ing seid liquid at a point eXteriorito said container, said means being' 'positioned Within said container when the compression means is `inactive and adapted to be projected therefrom when the compression means become operative.

7. In a fire extinguisher., the combination of a container fora fire extinguishing fluid, ailing an upwardly extending portion adapted to close an opening in the top of said container and a downwardly extending portieri adapted to project through an opening in the bottom of said/container, afsealing member for Isaid/ylatteryopening adapted to 'support the said'y piston when retracted, and thermeliyoperable means; for releasing said seaiing member.

' 8. Athermally operativerilreextinguisiier comprising a/fiuidcontainer, a spring-driven piston therein; adapted when released to f' 1 compress/.the contained Hind?,y a tuouiar membeimounted upon the face ci said pis` ton, opening forfxthe admission /of fisici thereto,` endl, terminated" at its""loWer extremity by a perforated head'ior the escape of said fluidi a circulaiyoiiiice `in the base ef said container through which said tubuiar member may -be .projected upon the reiease of said spring,"nd means for holding' said spring in its retracted position, said means being adapted to release said vspring and comprising a link iusibie at a predetermined temperature..

.9. In a 'tiriiimaliy operative iireeintinm guisher, means for automatically reieasing its contents at a predetermined temperature comprising a valve normally seated and e spring actuated mechanism, said mechanism consisting of a compression member, a rigid support therefor adapted to seat against said valve, and a temperatoree-responsive element tending normaliy to oppose said spring mechanism.

10. In a iire extinguisher, the combination of a cylindrical container for. e fire extinguishing Sinisi, means adaiited to piace said iinid under coinpiression comprising a spi-ing-driven 4piston therein, means fier iioidingsiiai piston in its retracted position eoniprisi. e; a n' from the ieee oi solid piston and adapted to be projected through an opening in. said conm rainer upon release of said sp ing, and a support for tiri member, support constituting a se ing closure ici' said open ing u' en the s ogg retracted.

iL in tinil'giiisiiei; the con'ibination of s. cyiiiidricai container ior a. fire extinguishing Huid, means dented to piace seid Huid under compression comprising spring-driven piston therein, an opening in said container, a `sive-bead adaptedto close said opening, and atbermai reiease device adapted to i-:eep said waive seated, with` ineens for holding said piston in its retracted position comprising a member extending through the face of said piston and normally seating 'upon said valvefhead i2. in a fire extinguisher, the combination of a container for a fire extinguishing uid means edapted to piece said Huid under compression comprising a spring-driven piston therein7 a passage in the bottom of said container an external closure for said, passage adapt-ed to seai same when the piston is in retracted position, end means `:for-holding said piston in its retracted position coinprising a tubular member carried by said piston and adapted to seat -open said closure, the interiors of said tubular member and of container being in comrcuifiica-v tion.

in a fire extinguisher, the combination of a cylindrical container for a fire extinguishing iinidf means adapted to place said iiuid onder compression comprising a springdrivmi piston therein, an opening .through said container, means 'for holding therethrough, a piston in said container, an

means 'for moving same comprising a spring co1] in the head of said piston, an upwardly yprojecting portion of said head being adapted te register with the opening in the top of the container when said spring is under com pressiona and s downwardly projecting por? tioniof said bead being; adapted to register with the opening in the/ bottom of said container when said spring is reieased, and a `r extending downwardly .i

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sealing member exterior to said Casing adapted to close the opening in the bottom thereof when. the piston is retracted and to be displaced by said piston upon the release of said spring.

15. In a. fire extinguisher of the class .described, the combination of a container for a, fire extinguishing liquid comprising a cylindrical body portion, :ind top and bottom members each having a central opening therethrough, u piston in said container, and means for moving same comprising e spring coil in the head of said piston, an upwardlyY projecting portion of said head being a apted to register With the opening in the top of the container when said-spring is under compression, and a downwardly projecting portion of said heed being adupted to register with the opening in the bottom of said container when seid spring is 1eleased, a sealing member exterior to said czisingl adapted to close the opening in the bottom thereof when the piston is retracted end to be displaced by said piston upon the release of said spring, e support for said sealing member, and a fusible linl: associated therewith, said support holding said seuling member against the Wall of said opening and receiving the thrust of the retracted piston and being adapted to be released by the rupture of said fusible link.

J. STEWART THGMSilN. 

